Transparent Clouds
by tsuginomai
Summary: An unexpected interaction can sometimes lead to an unexpected outcome. ShikaHina story.
1. Chapter 1

It's been so long since I've written a fanfiction omg. I wanted to write this though because I recently remembered my Hinata Hyuga roleplaying days on Tumblr... specifically this roleplay I did with a Shikamaru (which ended up being one of my favorites).

Dedicated to deer-nara-shikamaru. If you ever see this, this is hyuga-hinata. Thanks for being an awesome roleplay buddy.

Note: Story takes place after Naruto Shippuden episode 1.

Side note: I haven't watched Naruto in a while so sorry if Hinata and Shikamaru are ooc.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto franchise.

* * *

It was a beautiful day out in the Hidden Leaf Village, especially for Hinata Hyuga who couldn't stop thinking about how her ultimate crush came up to her and said...

"_Hinata! Just shut up and come with me!"_

It's been two and a half years since Naruto Uzumaki left Konoha to train with legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. Now that they were both back, Hinata couldn't help but imagine the many opportunities she'll have to interact with Naruto. That is, if she doesn't turn red and faint on the spot which ended up happening when she and her teammates ran into him the other day. She couldn't help it though. At this point in her life, Hinata was beginning to wonder whether her feelings were more than just major interest... Walking through the Konoha market street, she abruptly stops when she feels her face turn hot in embarrassment. The market was bustling with people but every time the thought of Naruto came into her mind, she couldn't help but react. Covering her face with her hands, Hinata then realized what a mistake that was when she felt someone walk into her from behind. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." Taking her hands off her face, she turned around to look at the individual who walked right into her. She was relieved to see a familiar face standing before her. "Shikamaru-kun!"

Shikamaru Nara looked back at the person who blocked off his path. He was too busy looking around to even notice that the person in front of him stopped walking. Realizing that it was just Hinata, he couldn't help but grin. Shikamaru always found this shy Hyuga-clan member to be interesting, especially when it came to her infatuation with Naruto. He just couldn't help but wonder why she would be in love with such an idiot. Almost everyone in their graduating class knew about Hinata's crush towards Naruto… except Naruto himself. Shikamaru chuckled at the thought.

A slightly confused look spread across Hinata's face when she saw Shikamaru grin then chuckle out of nowhere. Although they were both from the same academy class, she barely talked to the Team 10 member. The only thing she really knew about him was his use of Shadow techniques. "Um... Shikamaru-kun?"

"Sorry Hinata. I'm just surprised to see you," he admitted. "What are you doing here in the market place by yourself? I saw Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru earlier and they told me that they were getting ready for a mission. Since you're all in the same team, I thought you'd be out with them as well."

Hinata smiled at the mention of her teammates. Although their personalities tended to clash at times, she still highly respected them regardless. "Well you see..."

"Let me guess, you wanted to stay behind now that Naruto is back."

Hinata blushed, her face turning hot once again after cooling down a few moments ago. "Wh-What? No! I-I didn't stay behind just for him..."

"I'm just teasing you," Shikamaru winked. Whenever he saw an opportunity, he took it. Hopefully it didn't fluster the Hyuga too much. He yawned, realizing that he usually took a nap during this time of day. "Well I'd love to chat more but I have some other things I need to do," Shikamaru lied. He turned back around and began walking before Hinata could say anything else. "See you around."

"Bye Shikamaru-kun," Hinata called out, realizing that he was already too far out to hear her response. As she watched his figure turn smaller the farther he walked, she took an involuntary step forward when she felt something under her foot. "What...?" Lifting her foot off the ground, Hinata observed the object only to catch her by surprise. "Cigarettes?" She picked up the pack off the ground, wondering whether it was Shikamaru's or some random person who may have dropped it a long time ago. Clenching it in her hand, Hinata contemplated to herself before heading off in the same direction she saw Shikamaru's figure minimize in the distance.

-x-

Shikamaru sighed when he saw that his usual nap spot was being occupied by an entire family. "Tsk. How troublesome," he muttered under his breath as he watched a bunch of children running around the area.

As much as he'd love to have his nap, he also felt a small sense of satisfaction when he noticed how happy this family was spending quality time together. The spot was also perfect because it was located in front of the Hokage Rock. As he continued to watch, he didn't notice that someone was creeping up behind him until he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Startled out of his daze, he peered over and saw a pack of cigarettes right in front of him.

"Hello again Shikamaru-kun," Hinata greeted, holding the cigarettes closer to his face. "I don't mean to bother you... but um, I think you dropped these back at the market."

Shikamaru first looked at Hinata before looking at the pack of cigarettes she was holding just centimeters away from his face. He didn't even notice they were gone. Feeling his back pocket where he last put them, he then took the pack from Hinata's hand and nodded to her in thanks. "I'm surprised. Aren't you going to ask me if I smoke?"

Hinata looked back at Shikamaru, wondering what he was even doing prior to this moment. She shook her head. "No... Or well, it's not something I'd really question..."

Shikamaru sighed. He was hoping for a more straightforward answer. "Well, I don't. It's Asuma's. I took it from him because I hate it when he smokes. Heh. I wonder though..." Pulling out one of the cigarettes from the pack, he put it in-between his fingers. With his unoccupied hand, he reached into his vest jacket pocket where he kept a lighter. Igniting a flame, Shikamaru brought the cigarette to his mouth. "Want one?"

"No thank you..." Hinata replied, watching as Shikamaru lit up the cigarette. In a matter of seconds, he puffed out a cloud of smoke. A series of coughs came right after. "Are you alright Shikamaru-kun?" she asked, a look of worry coming across her face.

"Y-Yeah..." Shikamaru responded in between coughs. Taking the cigarette, he looked at it once more before throwing it on the ground and crushing it with his shoe. "This is why I hate these things. Terrible." Taking a deep breath, he then looked over at Hinata who still had a worried look on her face. Despite not knowing much about her, it was nice to see that she cared. "Anyways, are you hungry? The dango shop's nearby if you want to come with."

Hinata looked at him in surprise. Not only because he completely disregarded how he hacked up a cigarette a few seconds ago but the fact that she never once spent one on one time with a boy… let alone Shikamaru. Maybe except her father or Neji or her team members but... She always hoped Naruto would be her first. Hinata began to twiddle her fingers. "Are you sure? I mean... You don't have any other plans?"

_She's nervous._ Shikamaru realized, noticing the way she was fidgeting. He began to rub his head. "Nope. Ino and Choji are busy today and I don't have any plans with anyone else."

"Um... I'm not sure..." Although a part of her wanted to say yes, Hinata was still hesitant about hanging out with a guy other than Naruto. She made a strong effort not to make eye contact with him.

Shikamaru laughed. He had to admit, he never realized how funny it was when Hinata got all shy. Funny... but also cute. "Well if you really don't want to, I'm not going to force you."

Finally finding the courage, Hinata looked up to meet Shikamaru eye to eye. Her face turned slightly red at that. As much as she wanted Naruto to be the first boy she spent time with, she really didn't want to reject Shikamaru's offer. "Okay..."

When Hinata finally decided to go with him, Shikamaru gave her a small smile. He then waved his hand in a manner to follow him.

-x-

Hinata took one long look at the dango in her hand before biting off a piece. Never in her life did she imagine this ever happening... with Shikamaru to be exact. Recalling the last time she was here, Hinata took the time to savor her food. She then snuck a glance at Shikamaru who was staring right at her. She looked down at the table as soon as she noticed, a small blush appearing across her face.

_Well this is awkward,_ Shikamaru thought as he took his own dango and bit into it. _Then again, I was the one who invited her in the first place._ Seeing how Hinata's attention was still fixated on the table, he decided that it was time to break the ice between them. "So Hinata, when exactly are you going on your mission?"

Hinata slowly looked back up at Shikamaru. "Tomorrow..." she replied. "I remember you saying that you saw Kiba-kun and Shino-kun earlier and you were wondering why I wasn't with them. I just wanted to spend some time to myself. That's all..."

Shikamaru nodded, taking another bite off his dango. Compared to Hinata, he was already close to finishing his entire stick. "Well good luck. I've been pretty busy planning the Chunin Exams so I haven't gone on a mission for a while now. It's honestly been pretty boring. Most of the time, I'm just eating... thanks to Choji."

A small smile appeared across Hinata's face. "I see..."

"Yeah. Hopefully the Chunin Exams go by quickly so I can go on some missions again. I have a strong feeling that Naruto is going to ask me to help him find Sasuke though..."

At the mention of Sasuke's name, the smile on Hinata's face disappeared. Wanting the best for Naruto, it always saddened her to see how defeated he got when it came to Sasuke.

Shikamaru quickly noticed the change in Hinata's mood. "Tell me Hinata, why do you like Naruto?"

Hinata's face instantly turns red at the mention of her interest towards Naruto. She looks over at Shikamaru who was now eyeing her with curiosity. "O-Oh! Well..." Hinata took a moment to calm herself before continuing. "When we were younger, there was a time when I was being bullied by three older boys. Naruto... h-he was nearby and he intervened in my defense. I never forgot what he did..."

"Sounds like Naruto alright," Shikamaru remarked. He couldn't help but notice the shift in Hinata's facial features as it went from embarrassment to complete admiration towards Naruto. Ever since they were young, Shikamaru always saw Naruto as more than what many of the village people made him out to be. It was really nice to hear that he wasn't the only one who did. Then again, Hinata always came across as a genuinely nice person. "If you don't mind me asking, do you sometimes feel like Naruto?"

A confused look came across Hinata's face. "What do you mean?"

Shikamaru thought about it for a moment before continuing. "Do you feel like an outsider? In your own family that is. I still remember your fight during the Chunin Exams with Neji..." Shikamaru began to scratch his own head in frustration as soon as he realized what he was asking. _What was I thinking?_ he thought as he waited to see if Hinata would respond.

Hinata knew Shikamaru regretted asking this question just from the look on his face. As much as she didn't want to recall that moment in history, she was happy to hear that Naruto and her team weren't the only ones concerned for her well-being. "After the Chunin Exams, it was difficult... Not just between me and Neji-nii but with my father as well." Noticing how Shikamaru's complete attention was upon her, she decided to go on. "It's been hard... but I've been pushing through..."

_With Naruto as your main fuel source,_ Shikamaru wanted to finish for her but decided not to. Despite going through so much, Hinata's long-lasting will to prove herself not just to her family but to Naruto as well has led her to become the person he was speaking to now. "You know, you really are interesting..."

"Wh-What?" Fully aware of what Shikamaru had said, a blush appeared across her face once again.

Shikamaru stood from the table. "Come with me. I want you to see something.

-x-

"Weren't we just here Shikamaru-kun?" As Hinata took in her surroundings, she was aware that this was the exact same place she found Shikamaru when she gave him Asuma's cigarette pack.

"Yeah. But the specific spot I wanted to go to earlier was occupied," Shikamaru replied, making his way over to where his designated nap place was.

"Oh! That's why you were staring at those children."

"If you put it like that, you make me sound like a creep."

Hinata chuckled. As she was following Shikamaru to the place he wanted to show her, she soon realized that the spot had an amazing view of the Hokage Rock. Walking up this small hill that Shikamaru was now on top of, Hinata looked around and realized how close the Hokage House was from where they were at. "I've never been here before..."

"That's because no one knows about it. Well, except for that one family I guess." Making sure that no one else was around, Shikamaru sat down on the hill. He patted his hand on the spot next to him, indicating for Hinata to sit there.

Hinata took the spot right next to Shikamaru, scooting a bit when she realized their close proximity. Looking up at the faces of all the Hokages, she couldn't help but think of Naruto. _I wonder what he's doing now…_

Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that he didn't have to miss out on his daily laid-back time at this particular spot. It was different though now that it wasn't just him chilling on this minuscule hill. Looking up at the sky where he watched the sun slowly start to set, Shikamaru laid back down on the ground. "Hinata. Lay back down. You'll get a better view of the sky in this position."

Even though Hinata wasn't actually looking at the sky, she followed Shikamaru and laid back down on the ground. He wasn't wrong. A smile came across her face as she quietly laid there, watching as the sun was slowly sinking in the horizon and the clouds were drifting away. "The clouds..."

"There are many different kinds of clouds but the transparent ones are the most evident. Surprisingly enough," Shikamaru pointed out. "Honestly, I think the transparent ones are a lot like you. There's a reason why you can see them clearly... so that you can enjoy the light that shines through them." He then directs his attention so that he's no longer looking at the transparent clouds in the sky but at Hinata, the transparent cloud next to him.

"Transparent clouds?..." Looking up more intently at the sky, Hinata tries to locate one of those transparent clouds even though the light was beginning to fade. Luckily, she spotted one despite it slowly beginning to disperse. Hinata gazed up at that cloud, admiring how the remaining light in the sky was shining through it. "Wow... it looks really beautiful..."

"Yeah. It's pretty amazing." Although it seemed as if he was talking about the clouds, he was actually talking about Hinata. Moving so that their bodies were right next to each other, Shikamaru leans in close to her face with the intent of kissing her. _If I kiss her, it'll lead to other things..._ He then stops halfway and stares at her. _I don't even know if I should..._

Feeling Shikamaru's presence drawing closer to her, Hinata turns to look at him... only to see him leaning in close and trying to kiss her. _Wh-What?! H-He's trying to kiss me?!_ Shocked, Hinata starts to move herself away until she notices him stopping halfway. Completely flustered by the situation, she places her hands against her cheeks which were now hotter than ever before.

Shikamaru bows his head in shame. He laughs a little before getting up from his position. "I'll walk you home," he tells her, waiting to see if she'll even come with him after what just happened. _She really is saving herself. _

Without responding, Hinata gets up from the ground and starts heading in the direction to where her house was without him. Although it didn't happen, she was still utterly surprised that Shikamaru tried to kiss her. Her face still red as ever, Hinata tries to calm herself down while making an effort not to look back.

Watching Hinata who was now walking away without him, Shikamaru wondered whether he should catch up with her... but decides not to. He begins to walk in the opposite direction, but stops. "Geez..." Turning back around, he catches up to her. "Hinata," he starts, completely aware that she was trying to avoid eye contact with him. "I'm only here to make sure you get home safely. Okay?"

She had a feeling he would go back to her despite what just happened moments ago. Not able to fully look at him, Hinata kept her focus on the path in front of her. "Alright..." The two continued to walk with each other in complete silence. It wasn't until they finally reached her place when she spoke. "You know Shikamaru-kun, I'm not mad at you or anything... It's just that I was really surprised..."

_And here I thought she would avoid me after what happened_. "It's okay. You wouldn't have liked what would come after anyway."

"Come after?..."

Shikamaru couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

Thanks for reading!

tsuginomai


	2. Chapter 2

So originally, I wasn't going to continue on with this story. After reading through the first chapter several times though (along with a few requests), I decided to keep it going. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto franchise.

* * *

"Hinata."

"_It's okay. You wouldn't have liked what would come after anyway."_

A week has passed since Hinata went on that mission with Kiba and Shino and all she could think about was when she ran into Shikamaru the day before. Remembering how they were both lying down on that hill and the way he was watching her as he started to lean in close... Hinata's face turned red at the memory.

"Hinata!"

Startled, Hinata came back to her senses to see Kiba Inuzuka waving his hands frantically in front of her.

"Goodness Hinata. Daydreaming about Naruto again?"

"No!" _Not this time..._ she thought, noticing the wary look her teammate was giving her. Hinata knew she should be focusing on their training but it was difficult when someone she simply saw as a friend tried to kiss her. She watched as Kiba sat down on Akamaru, who slightly whimpered while looking in her direction.

"Just let her be Kiba."

"Don't be so easy on her Shino! We have to make sure our abilities are up to par with everyone else."

"That's what you always say."

Directing her attention to her other teammate, Shino Aburame, Hinata also noticed the way he was getting ready for their training as his insects flew around his figure. Now the only person they were waiting on was her. _Focus Hinata. Your teammates are counting on you._ "I'm sorry..." she apologized, getting into her fighting stance.

"Save your sorry until after we test out your skills. Right Akamaru?"

"Ruff!"

"Let's go."

-x-

Shikamaru slumped in his seat when he observed the mounds of paperwork he had to complete. Although he agreed to help with the Chunin Exams, he wasn't aware of the amount of work that would follow. "Man this is troublesome," he complained as he brought his face down on the desk.

"Already complaining are you?"

Glancing up, he watched as Temari of The Hidden Sand Village walked over to him and placed more paperwork upon his desk.

"Your village's academy lent us this room for a reason."

Shikamaru took a stack of the paperwork and placed it on the ground right next to the desk. "Why is all this paperwork necessary for the Chunin Exams anyway? Makes no sense..."

"I thought you were a lot smarter than you looked."

As Shikamaru attempted to sort through all the papers, he stopped when he heard the shuffle of a plastic bag right in front of.

"Sorry. I got these on my way here. You want one?"

Looking up from the desk, Shikamaru's eyes widened when he saw a dango being taken out from the bag. At that moment, the memory of his time spent with Hinata came flooding back into his mind. A week has passed since he made an attempt to kiss her and it's been bothering him ever since. He wasn't even sure why he tried to kiss her... let alone what brought him to do that in the first place.

"So you want one or are you just going to keep gawking?"

Realizing that Temari was still waiting for his response, Shikamaru snapped out of his daze. "No thanks."

"Fine. Suit yourself."

Tapping his fingers against the desk, he was beginning to feel restless with the amount of thoughts flooding through his mind. He sighed. Taking a look at the papers before him once more, he stood up. "I need some fresh air."

"Well you better come back soon. I'm not dealing with this on my own."

-x-

On her way home from the Third Training Ground where she practiced her abilities alongside her teammates, Hinata stopped when she felt her stomach rumble. She didn't even realize how hungry she was. Ever since Naruto came back, almost everyone seemed to be honing their skills, especially Kiba who seemed eager than ever to prove himself stronger than he was before. _All this training really does take a toll though..._ Looking around for a place to eat, she stopped when she saw Yakiniku Q just a few shops ahead. Her stomach rumbled once again when she picked up the smell of barbecue wafting through the air. Not wanting to go on without having at least one bite, Hinata made her way into the restaurant. _If only I knew I was coming here... I would've asked Kiba-kun, Shino-kun, and Akamaru to come with me, _she thought. As she was about to make her way to the closest empty table, she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that familiar spiky ponytail.

Shikamaru almost spit out his drink when he saw Hinata walk in the Yakiniku Q restaurant. _Of all the places in Konohagakure..._ Although he had a strong urge to just ignore her presence, he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. Seeing that Hinata took notice of Shikamaru as well, he waved his hand in the air to signal her over.

Hinata knew she shouldn't ignore Shikamaru but she still couldn't stop thinking about their time spent together that one day. _Oh man... What do I do...? I-I don't know what to do..._

_I was right. I should just ignore her,_ he thought again before his body unconsciously rose up. _Way to do the complete opposite.._. Getting up from his table, Shikamaru walked over to Hinata who seemed to be completely out of it. "Hey Hinata."

"Sh-Shikamaru..." Barely able to say his name, Hinata couldn't keep her composure. It was especially difficult now that Shikamaru was standing right in front of her. Before she could say anything else, her stomach growled loudly to which she blushed in response.

"Looks like someone's hungry," Shikamaru joked, trying to ease the situation. "There's an extra spot at my table if you want to sit."

Nodding her head once, Hinata followed as Shikamaru led her to the table he was sitting at when she took notice of him. Once they sat down, Hinata stared at nothing but her clasped hands which were placed on her lap. Trying to remain calm, she listened as Shikamaru requested more meat. She found it sort-of ridiculous that she was acting like this... especially since Shikamaru did nothing extreme... well except try to kiss her... fully aware of her crush towards Naruto. Not able to hold it in any longer, Hinata was just about ready to ask when Shikamaru spoke.

"Look. I'm sorry about the other day. I don't know what came over me," Shikamaru admitted. In all honesty, he wasn't even fully sure why he tried to kiss Hinata in the first place. _It can't be just because I thought she was cute... can it?_ Looking over at the Hyuga who was finally looking back at him, he shrugged. "But yeah. You think you can try to forget it ever happened? Easier said than done but..."

"S-Sure..." Hinata replied, knowing deep down that it'll be difficult for her to forget. At the time, she already knew hanging out with just Shikamaru would be a major thing for her. _One on one time with a boy other than Naruto_, she remembered thinking to herself. Now he was asking her to just forget that he almost tried to kiss her. As much as she wanted to forget, she knew deep down that it would linger in the back of her mind.

"Alright." Bringing a piece of meat to his lips, he wondered whether Hinata could even forget that what happened between them even happened. Shikamaru knew that he certainly couldn't. Although he was the one that said they should forget, he knew that it would be difficult. He knew that she was majorly interested in Naruto... but he still attempted to kiss her anyway. At this point, Shikamaru not only wanted to forget... but he also wanted to know what led him to do that. "So how was your mission?"

Hinata ate several pieces of meat before responding. She almost forgot why she was even there in the first place. "We had to escort a council member to the Hidden Grass Village. They were here in the Hidden Leaf Village for negotiations. Not sure what kind though..."

"Politics right," Shikamaru commented. He took another few bites of barbecue before going on. "Well at least you're not stuck here filling out paperwork. Such a drag honestly."

"Oh yeah. How's planning for the Chunin Exams? You're working with Temari-san right?"

"Could be better. Temari... she's something else alright."

Hinata continued to eat her barbecue as her nerves began to slowly cool down. "So how's Ino-chan, Choji-kun, and Asuma-sensei?"

Shikamaru was surprised to see that Hinata still wanted to keep a conversation going. "The usual. Ino still loves to complain, Choji still loves to eat, and Asuma... I'm pretty sure you know how he's doing."

A small smile came across Hinata's face. "I'm glad Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei are happy together."

"They deserve it. Like you." Realizing what he just said, Shikamaru peered over at Hinata who instantly turned red. _Way to go idiot._

_Just when I thought I've calmed down..._ Hinata thought as she ate her last few pieces of barbecue.

Finishing up his food, Shikamaru looked over at Hinata's plate which was completely empty. "Hey-"

"Thank you... for inviting me to sit with you," Hinata interrupted. She took out some money and placed it on the table before standing up.

Taking the money that Hinata just placed on the table, he held it out back to her. "Keep it. I'll pay."

"O-Oh no there's no need-"

"Don't worry about it."

Looking at Shikamaru who didn't seem like he'll take no for an answer, Hinata bowed her head to him. "Thank you Shikamaru-kun."

Before Hinata had the chance to leave without him, he outstretched his hand and touched her arm. He quickly moved it away once he realized what he did. "Let me walk you home. It's getting pretty late out."

_Don't turn red... don't turn red... _Hinata repeated to herself when she felt his hand graze her arm. _And now he's asking to walk me home. Just like last time... _She gave a Shikamaru a small nod in response to his offer.

Shikamaru sighed in relief. _That could've been a lot worse..._

-x-

Walking with Shikamaru didn't help her to forget that day which still hung in the air between them. It certainly didn't help that there were still a few transparent clouds out in the sky. Hinata was relieved to see the sun's light finally beginning to disappear when she felt her cheeks burn hot at the memories that kept constantly bombarding her mind. _Maybe if I think of Naruto-kun, it'll keep my mind off Shikamaru-kun..._

As Shikamaru was walking alongside Hinata who didn't seem like she wanted to talk, he took the time to figure out why he tried to kiss her that one day. _Maybe it was because of the mood..._

Still not able to stop thinking of Shikamaru, she decided to just give in. There was no way she could stop thinking about him... not unless she stopped avoiding him altogether. Hinata peered over at Shikamaru who seemed to be deep in thought. "Shikamaru-kun."

Shikamaru stopped his train of thought when he heard his name escape from Hinata's lips. "Hm?"

"Sorry if this seems out of nowhere... H-How are you?" Realizing how stupid her question was, she averted her gaze away from Shikamaru.

He laughed. "I already told you the answer to this. Chunin Exams... That's-" Shikamaru stopped when he realized that he was supposed to go back and help Temari finish the paperwork a few hours ago. He was too caught up with the barbecue and Hinata to even realize... "Looks like this is where we depart." He began to rub the back of his head in frustration. "Sorry Hinata. I offered to walk you home but I just remembered I have to go back and finish up some work."

Hinata frowned. Despite this being an opportunity to break away from Shikamaru and keep her mind off of him, there was a part of her that wanted to stick around. "I can go with you if that's okay... I don't mind."

Shikamaru pondered over this for a moment before responding. Here he thought Hinata would go off, happy that she wouldn't have to see him and be reminded of that day. He certainly would've left if he were in her shoes. "Well okay. Don't worry. It won't take long." He pointed at the academy building which wasn't too far from where they were at. "All the work's being done at the academy building."

"Academy building? Were you assigned to work there?"

"No. I broke into one of the rooms without permission."

"What...?"

"Kidding. Me and Temari were provided a room to work in. Breaking in would've been too much of a hassle." It didn't take long for the two to reach the building. Barely any lights out at this hour, Shikamaru had a feeling Temari was long gone. _She's going to be so pissed at me._ Reaching into his front pocket, he took out two keys that opened the main door and the room he was using to complete his work in.

"It's so dark in here..." Hinata pointed out as she followed Shikamaru inside the building. Never in her life had she been inside the academy building during this time. It was interesting to see how different it was at night compared to during the day. She made sure to watch each step she took as Shikamaru slowly made his way to wherever the room was.

"The room's not far from the main door. Just have to go through this hallway," he told her. "I'll have to admit though, it's pretty dumb of me to not turn on the lights. Can't see a thing..." As soon as he reached the door, he quickly opened it so that he could turn on the room's light. As his gaze swept over the room, he noticed that everything was the same as where he'd left it. "Figures."

"Were you supposed to meet Temari-san here?" Looking around the room, Hinata noticed the mess of papers that were on top of the desk. The room itself was pretty simple with a few chairs, a small table, and the desk that contained all of Shikamaru's paperwork.

"I was... a few hours ago," Shikamaru confessed as he made his way over to the desk and began sorting through all the papers. "I guess Temari was serious when she said she wouldn't deal with this on her own.

"Oh. I hope I didn't hold you back..."

"Don't worry. You didn't." _Sorta._ As he continued to sort through each paper so that they were in order of relevance, Shikamaru finally registered the situation he was in. He directed his attention to Hinata who seemed to be observing the room. "You really don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Hinata looked back at Shikamaru. He's right. Why was she staying here when earlier that day, she was still in disarray about his kissing attempt? Even Hinata didn't know the answer.

Hearing no response, Shikamaru presumed she didn't want to leave him behind. _If she really doesn't want to go, then I won't force her. _However, that only made him question her even more than he already did. "...Well like I said, this won't take long."

Hinata watched as Shikamaru continued to sort through the papers, taking note of the look of stress on his face. "Shikamaru-kun..." she began, not sure where she was going with this. "Why do you do what you do?"

Shikamaru stopped. "What do you mean?"

"...Well, you would always refer to situations as 'troublesome.' However, you still continue to do what needs to be done."

"I still call situations troublesome at times," he admitted. "But there are times when certain situations need to be dealt with. My dad always encouraged me to do what's best."

"Similar to what I learned from Naruto... He always encouraged me to do my best with the choices I make for myself."

"Well, I agree."

For someone who came off as lazy, he was pretty dedicated when it came to what needed to be done. Hinata couldn't help but smile at that. She always knew Shikamaru was always more than what his laid-back personality made him out to be. _Like a transparent cloud..._ as he referred to her. Noticing that one of the papers from his desk flew off and landed on the ground right behind him, she went to go retrieve it. "Shikamaru-kun, one of your papers fell..."

"Hinata, wait! Watch out for-" Too late, he realized as she tripped over the stack of paperwork he placed on the ground earlier that day. Within seconds, Shikamaru stopped what he was doing to refrain Hinata from falling but in the end, she still fell... landing right on top of him.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry... um... I-I didn't mean..." completely flustered by the situation, Hinata covered her hands with her face.

Before Shikamaru could get Hinata to move off him, he couldn't help but admire her in this moment. In some way or another, they were both similar in that they were determined to do what's right and fight for it. _The only difference is that she isn't lazy._ But that was a detail he couldn't help but admire in her.

Hinata looked between her fingers to see Shikamaru looking right at her. She was surprised to see that he wasn't asking her to get off him right away... or that he wasn't even attempting to move her off himself. Hinata was even more surprised that she allowed herself to stay in that position. _I don't understand... _Slowly removing her hands from her face, Hinata looked up at Shikamaru who now seemed to be laying transparent before her.

Now he knew why he tried to kiss Hinata that night. The answer was obvious to a point where he even mentioned it. But it wasn't until this moment where he figured out why he grew some fondness towards her. "Hinata..."

"What is going on?!"

* * *

Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to favorite/follow if you're lowkey shipping Shikamaru and Hinata (like me lol).

tsuginomai


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